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Your favourite fantasy world?

What's your favourite fantasy setting, everyone? Keep in mind I'm not talking about fantasy stories, just the background universes. For me it's probably Westeros or Faerun, though I have some gripes with both of them.
I often do encounter fantasy stories that take place in a shoddy universe, and that just puts me off. Then there's shoddy stories in a really good universe, which is rare but it happens.

Warhammer, and Warhammer 40000, in terms of diversity I think is the best. In terms of story and drama, I would go with Westeros. But for Epicness I think the Silmarrilion time frame, the 1st and 2nd Eras, is the best.

I'm a little biased as I'm OLD... but I'd say that on my list of top 5 would be:

1. World of Greyhawk- Hard to argue with the original "fantasy RPG" setting. I've played and written there for almost 30 years and I'm still in love with it.
2. The Land (from the Thomas Covenant series) amazing history and richness. I realize it's very "middle earth" but it does have it's own soul and character.
3. Middle Earth- Of course the classic and father of them all. I read the Rings trilogy when I was 10 and they are still some of the best books I have ever read.
4. The Kingdom of Shendenflar- Never heard of it? Well that's because it's my own campaign setting. I've been working on it for nearly 25 years and it's hard not to love something you've been with for that long. Sure it doesn't have the sweeping "epicness" of Middle Earth or any of the others but there is a lot of history and adventure there.
5. Faerun- The middle child of fantasy RPG settings. Epic in scope and detailed unlike any other.

I am the breath of Dragons...The Song of Mountains...The Stories of Rivers....The Heart of Cities.... I am A Cartographer....

For me, it's whichever setting I am working on at the time. Currently, I am still in the development of the Kaidan (Japanese horror) setting for PFRPG. It's my own project development being published as an imprint under Rite Publishing (but still my IP). I happen to be half Japanese, and have spent a lifetime of study of all things Japanese, especially history, folklore, legends and ghost story tradition. Having played RPGs since 1977, I've been consistently unsatisfied with the various oriental settings created for D&D and other game systems over the years. While both Bushido and Sengoku were great games set in Japan, they were set in Japan, not a fantasy Japan-based setting - something closer to my goals.

Japanese horror has not been a genre developed for RPG games, so Kaidan is my attempt to create that niche. (Kaidan is a Japanese word that means 'ghost story').

So far, under Rite Publishing, I've published 5 adventures, including an introductory trilogy of modules, 3 Kaidan race supplements, 2 faction guides, and a haunts guide. I am currently working on both maps and content for the main setting handbooks after a successful Kickstarter project last summer, and a new possible map product/complex encounter product series - where my Japanese Bathhouse Map WIP is a part.

I've always preferred niche settings vs. more vanilla worlds like Middle Earth. Both Ravenloft and Kara-Tur are inspirations to my work with the Kaidan project. Although I am enjoying Westeros - waiting for the next book release in the series.

I have spent many years gaming in the Forgotten Realms setting and it is the one I have the most invested in. Currently we are playing a Spelljammer campaign in the Forgotten Realms Sphere.

I am thinking about trying a campaign in The Dragon Riders of Pern world. Does anyone know if there is a RPG based on Pern? I've read all the books and it is a very richly detailed world with a lot of history.

I can't believe I forgot Pern !! That would be such a great RPG Bogie. The quest back to technology could make for a fascinating game. If you ever decide to go forward with that, let me know I'd love to help. and from now on you can call me J'on..

I am the breath of Dragons...The Song of Mountains...The Stories of Rivers....The Heart of Cities.... I am A Cartographer....